


Reciprocity

by sinspiration



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Recovery, Service Top Shiro, season 8? what season 8?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-02 08:17:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17260775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinspiration/pseuds/sinspiration
Summary: Keith’s the one who likes action movies.So it’s his fault.





	Reciprocity

**Author's Note:**

> Happy new year! I fell head first into this fandom like... three weeks ago? Don't look at me.
> 
> [based on a thread I made on Twitter](https://twitter.com/justsayins/status/1079860624367251457) about Service Top!Shiro. Also Shiro has PTSD this is not up for debate.

Keith likes action movies. He doesn’t find them very exciting, and makes a lot of fun of fight choreography, but he finds it interesting to see directions the plot takes, among the action. Seeing the motivations of the characters.

Shiro doesn’t really care for them, but he’s willing to humor Keith. It usually means sitting together on the couch, Keith watching a movie and Shiro reading or doing work, occasionally looking up when Keith wants to point out something particularly ridiculous.

But Keith’s the one who likes action movies.

So it’s his fault.

 

***

 

“You won’t believe what just got released,” Keith says that night. They don’t watch things every night, because neither of them have _that_ much regular patience, but Keith’s excited.

Shiro glances over at him as Keith clicks through screen options. “What?”

“It’s a movie about _me._ Well, kind of. About the Blades. All about the espionage of their work and how they had a hand in bringing Zarkon down.”

Shiro raises an eyebrow. “And you… want to watch this?”

“Are you kidding? I wanna see who they cast as me.”

Shiro shrugs, but his mouth thins slightly. “Okay.”

Keith pauses just as he finds the right screen. “We don’t have to,” he says quickly. “If you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s okay.” Shiro glances down at his datapad. “I’m sure you’ll have plenty to make fun of.”

“It’ll be a bunch of sensationalized shit,” Keith says. “You know what these movies are like.”

“I’m sure the person they picked to play you is very handsome.”

Keith shoots him a grin and starts the film.

 

***

 

There is definitely a likeness, Shiro thinks, when Keith has him look up at “himself” walking on-screen. The voice is wrong, but it’s obvious the actor paid attention to Keith’s inflections. It’s a little unsettling, to see Keith in action and think about other people watching this movie for entertainment.

He’s not sure how he feels about that.

Usually by this point he’s concentrating on his own thing, but he finds himself looking at the screen more and more, until he’s out and out watching the movie. It is, indeed, very sensationalized, with a lot of embellishing. The Blades did do a lot of fighting, but they also did a lot of undercover work. They were a lot more silent and efficient, instead of how the movie portrays them escaping from explosion after explosion.

Keith doesn’t really get revealed to be a proper main character until about midway through, and by that point Shiro is thoroughly engrossed. He watches, eyes getting wider and wider, as Keith gets drawn into the fight. The actor or stunt double or whoever is doing the actual fighting is good enough, though nothing in comparison to Keith’s grace. He’s also playing things up for dramatic effect, drawing the fight out for much, much too long. Ten seconds or less, to down an opponent or get away, was the rule in the Garrison. Twenty seconds with a struggle. Thirty seconds is ten seconds closer to losing.

This fight has been going on for a few minutes, and Shiro watches as another enemy comes onto screen, raises a weapon.

He hears the bang and moves without thinking, grabbing Keith down and off the couch, kicking up the coffee table as a makeshift shield, covering Keith with his own body. He sees Keith fall, behind his eyelids, taking hit after hit, bruises blooming over his skin, flesh burning, scars forming, _he wasn’t able to save him, he wasn’t good enough, he’s failed, failed in the worst way, he can hear the noise of the battle but he can’t move, can’t fight, his limbs are heavy as they shake, his shoulder on fire and it’s dark and Keith is gone_

_The crowd is roaring--_

“-ro, I’m okay. It’s okay, Shiro. I’m fine. I’m safe. You’re fine and safe. You’re with me. It’s Thursday. We woke up together and had breakfast together, and you called me while you were at work to make sure I’d eaten lunch, and I had to tell you exactly what I had and when. I’m safe. You’re safe. You actually got home before me this time, because I had to stay late for a meeting, and then we took a walk because we always watch the sunset if we can catch it in time. And you’re okay. I’m okay. We’re both safe. It’s Thursday. We--”

Shiro swallows, throat dry. “Keith?”

Warm hands come up to cup his face. “Yeah. It’s me. I’m here. Can you open your eyes for me?”

Oh. His eyes are closed. That’s why it’s dark. He opens them and looks down at Keith, who he’s still bracketing with his body. The sounds of the movie play on and Shiro flinches.

“Shh, it’s okay. We can stay here for as long as you need to, but if we get up I can at least turn off the screen.”

Shiro doesn’t want Keith to move. Doesn’t want him vulnerable. He puts his weight on his left arm and reaches out with his right, using no finesse to turn the screen off.

It’s loud with sudden silence, and that helps. Shiro licks his lips and draws back, just a little. “You’re not hurt?” It’s a rasp.

Keith shakes his head. “Totally fine, Shiro.”

“I--” He stops.

Keith looks up at him, expression soft. “Do you need to check?”

Shiro nods. He trusts Keith when he says he’s fine, but that means _Keith_ believes he’s fine. He could still be hurting and not notice, or not think it matters, or--

“Okay, sure. Here?”

Here on the floor, Keith can’t be comfortable. The lighting isn’t great. There isn’t enough room. “Not here.”

“Alright.” Keith squeezes his shoulder, and it hurts a little less. “Wherever you need me to be.”

Shiro gets off Keith and carefully tugs him to his feet and leads him to their bedroom. He’s not so far gone that he doesn’t remember that, this time. He lets go of Keith’s wrist and Keith immediately starts to shuck his clothes. Shiro watches. Keith is moving easily, and he doesn’t wince as he pulls off his shirt, bends over to step out of his pants. He smiles at Shiro and then goes to lay down on the bed on his back, open and trusting.

It hurts, how much he’s trusted. But it hurts more to think Shiro can’t take care of him. He can, and he will.

He kneels on the bed himself and starts to run his hands carefully over Keith’s body, mapping out old hurts, thankful as he continues not to find new ones. Trails fingertips over scars--they all have scars, but Shiro knows every one of Keith’s, and these are all fading.

He guides Keith to turn over onto his stomach and does the same thing to his back. Takes note of how his muscles shift and pull without pain.

Shiro moves down, to Keith’s legs, and then his feet, and by then he’s come back to himself enough to feel comfortable to wrap a gentle hand around Keith’s ankle and press a kiss there. He hears the quiet hitch of breath and smiles at the sensitivity Keith allows Shiro to see.

He crawls back up Keith’s body, pressing kisses as he goes now, then pulls Keith into his lap. Keith goes easily, wrapping his arms around Shiro, soothing him as Shiro buries his face in Keith’s hair.

“I’m okay,” Keith says quietly. “You have me. You always have me.”

Shiro pulls back enough to look Keith in the eye. Keith smiles at him, so bright that Shiro doesn’t deserve it.

“Yes, you do,” Keith says, just as quiet, but fiercer now.  Shiro hadn’t realized he’d spoken aloud. “You absolutely deserve it.”

Shiro lets out a shaky breath and moves to kiss him. Strokes a hand down the planes of Keith’s stomach, dipping down to touch his inner thigh. “Do you want…?”

“Whatever you want to give me,” Keith says evenly, and doesn’t move for more.

Shiro kisses him again and reaches to take Keith’s cock in hand. It’s dripping with precum, because even if Keith would never, never push, Shiro knows his body can’t help reacting. It makes him happy though, to get to bring Keith another sort of pleasure. Keith will take whatever Shiro wants to give, which is good, because Shiro wants to give him everything.

Keith is always quiet, but his breathing goes ragged as Shiro moves his hand around him, letting out exhales and little panted-out noises. Shiro drinks it all in; Keith melting in his arms, Keith’s beautiful flushed face, Keith losing himself to this, as Shiro takes care of him.

Keith comes with a gasp and then slumps boneless in Shiro’s arms, titling his face up for kisses before nuzzling into Shiro’s neck. Shiro holds him close and lets himself sink fully back into reality, where he is with Keith who’s alive and unhurt and happy. Happy with him.

If nothing else, Shiro can try to be worthy of Keith’s faith in him.

 

***

 

Shiro ends up shifting Keith down on the bed and under the covers, and they sort of drift for a while, tangled up around each other. It’s fully dark out when Keith stirs to the feeling of fingers in his hair. He opens his eyes to find Shiro looking down at him with a faraway expression.

“How are you feeling?” Keith asks.

“Better. I’m sor--”

“Don’t you dare say you’re sorry,” Keith growls. And then, softer, “I’m the one who’s sorry. This was my fault. You even--you even said you had a problem with it and I went ahead anyway.”

“I didn’t say I had a problem with it.”

“Nonverbally. Nonverbally there was clear expression of a problem.”

Shiro huffs a laugh. “You’ve been listening to Hunk again.”

“Hunk’s smart, and knows how people work.”

“So do you.”

Keith glares and frowns. “Not enough. I didn’t think--”

“We both didn’t think,” Shiro says gently. “It’s okay.”

Keith sighs. Agreeing to disagree. “Okay.”

He’s expecting it when Shiro coaxes him into sitting up. “You should have something to drink.”

Keith rolls his eyes, but his voice is fond when he says, “Sure, okay. And then we just get ready for bed?” It’s late enough.

“Sounds good.” Shiro kisses his forehead before he slides out of bed. “Wait here.”

Keith normally would be getting up to like, brush his teeth and stuff, but he knows there’s still a residue of unhappiness in the lines of Shiro’s body. So he sits and waits, and Shiro comes back with a water bottle for him, and then guides him to the bathroom, where he strips down himself too.

Keith grins. “I like there this is going.” Shiro’s calm enough again that he can tease.

Shiro proves him right by snorting, then wraps himself around Keith’s back. Kisses just underneath his ear. Keith shudders and lets his eyes fall shut for a moment, before Shiro lets him go and heads to the sink.

Keith follows his lead, and they brush their teeth, side by side, Shiro’s right hand turning on the shower. By the time they’re both done, clouds of steam are filling the room.

Keith grins again, letting Shiro tug him under the spray and happily stands there as Shrio starts to wash him unprompted, moving as Shiro directs him but otherwise lets himself close his eyes again, relax into Shiro’s careful attention. There are more kisses, pressed against clean skin. Shiro gets him off again, though he makes no move to do anything with himself. Keith kisses his mouth and glances down before raising an eyebrow. Shiro shakes his head, and Keith kisses him again before he can look ashamed. “You know it’s okay,” Keith murmurs.

The smile Shiro gives him in return is small, but it fills Keith to the brim. “Come on,” Shiro says. “Let’s get you dry.”

Keith is pliant as Shiro towels him dry and presses excess water out of his hair. Shiro gives himself a much more cursory towel-off and then they head back into the bedroom.

They fall among the sheets and Keith wastes no time pulling Shiro into his arms. “I’ve got you,” he says.

He can hear the warmth in Shiro’s voice when he replies, “I know.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on twitter! [@justsayins](https://twitter.com/justsayins) and I post stuff sometimes!  
> ...mostly sheith right now. other stuff too. but mostly sheith.


End file.
